Experiencing Her
by To-Be-Silent
Summary: Days in New York go by quicker than the ones in Lima; Santana barely has time to catch up with her new life when already, a new chapter has begun. She's not ready to move on yet, but she's willing to try. Rated T, rating will change as story goes on. [Prologue Up]
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The hands aren't as slender and fingertips are callused; she's not familiar with this feeling of having larger hands in her own. The skin feels rough, like how a man's would be, but this particular skin has the gentleness of a woman's heart, and it's hardened only because of the music it creates from the tips. The nails are trimmed, in which she's not very used to, and the blunt nails trail down the spine of her back, sending goosebumps all over her warm body. She shivers and the latter senses, taking her bottom lip into a hot lock.

She shivers again from the sensation and opens her eyes to meet with lidded ones that look up at her.

Santana cannot see herself in love, but she can feel herself getting sucked into brown orbs. She wonders why she feels so alive and tries to remember the feeling of having her best friend's lips on her's.

It doesn't seem right anymore.

Instead now, where she is embraced by Dani's arms, seems like the perfect puzzle piece.

Why is that?

She's not in love.

Not yet.

Dani's eyes flash in amusement and Santana partly wonders if the woman can see the curious expression that plays on her face.

But her mind is a puddle and her eyelids feel heavy.

The dirty blonde nips at her lips once before pulling away, causing Santana's lip to sting pleasantly. The fingers splayed on her slender back makes its way back up to Santana's neck and traces the little, purple marks that litter the side of the Latina's neck. The movements are lazy and not rushed. It feels like a new experience for Santana.

It wasn't like this before.

She closes her eyes, half to relish the comforting actions and half to try to remember.

Rushed, hectic, desperate; it's all a blur.

"Santana..."

Opening her eyes as best she can, the woman simply abides when Dani pulls her into a lying position to where her face on Dani's warm chest, the soft fabric of the shirt Dani was still wearing brushing against Santana's wet cheeks. The air is silent except for the noise a content breathing from the two.

Santana really doesn't know why she's crying. She doesn't know when she started too and why. It doesn't even feel like tears were escaping her.

Oh, she's so afraid. The whole story of Dani was so new and unexpected, and Santana has always had trouble of keeping up with the new. to get used to the foreigness and Santana's impatient. She's also still stuck in her past, even if she doesn't want to admit it. Her past is over, she says, but she unconsciously would let the mentions of it slip pass her lips.

Santana won't notice her mistake, but Dani does.

And it makes Dani uncomfortable so the blone tries to avoid talking about their past as much as possible.

Santana notices this, but doesn't mind.

All they both need is the present.

"Sleep Santana."

Dani's words are a whisper, a no-tune lullaby.

And so, Santana sleeps.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks for all the favs and the follows! This chapter was uploaded a bit later than I expected, but I hope you guys don't mind the slight delay. If you have any thoughts, please review. I'd love to read what you read and analyze from the text! _Text is not yet proofread so mistakes may be found. apologies for any._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Santana feels the thrilling shiver that runs down her spine every time she would look up from taking an order to see a pair of gleaming, brown eyes staring at her. This has happened for the past hour now and frankly, it's quite a work distraction. The stare makes her feel like a trapped prey underneath the piercing gaze of a skilled predator, and for once, it's not Santana making the first moves.

Never breaking their connection, Santana absentminded writes down an order and leaves the table. She makes her way closer and closer to the smirking woman who's leaning on her elbow on the counter top, and Santana raises her brow in competition to the amused smirk that's directed at her.

"Two blueberry pancakes, a cup of hot chocolate, and a glass of orange juice."

Santana's voice comes out as a husk due to the morning effects and Dani simply just nods. Santana tries to ignore the seductive glint that flashes in the latter's eyes in reaction to her voice. Conscious of herself, Santana clears her throat.

"Got it," the blonde says, but makes no action to move.

Instead, Dani stands there looking at Santana with that same smile that makes Santana want to yank the woman into a hot lip-lock. The taller Latina knows that Dani is trying to tempt her and melt her, and make her give the blonde the look of mercy. Dani is such a tease and Santana doesn't know how long she'll be able to take it before she gives in to the other woman.

Santana Lopez hates losing and because of this, she never does.

But goddammit, Dani obviously has the upper hand in this game.

"Well?"

The order isn't going to make itself and Santana rather not get chewed out by the boss because of the ever-so-subtle flirting that Dani was sending.

But of course, Dani's just a surprise after another.

"Sorry this is sudden but will you go out with me tonight?"

Santana's raised eyebrow drops and her mouth falls agape. She's speechless when Dani smiles charmingly in response and waits patiently for an answer. Warmth pools into her chest like a flood taking over and Santana's face is on fire. She's glad that blushing doesn't show on her skin.

Dani giggles when Santana starts speaking air, words not making their way out properly out of parting lips.

"Well?" Dani asks, finally picking up the piece of paper with the order. She starts making her way away from the counter, but instead of going into the kitchen, she goes out front, and stands right in front of Santana.

Santana can't really breathe at the moment.

She stares down at Dani's lips and unconsciously licks her own in anticipation.

Kissing sounds really nice right now.

The Latina watches Dani speak while intently focused on keeping her hormones in check. In the back of her mind, Santana smacks herself for being so damn observant because she just cannot look away.

She's completely captured by her predator and there's no escaping it.

"7 o'clock, dress casual, and be in front of the diner. I'll pick you up."

The blonde grins.

Santana stutters.

"I-it's a date."

* * *

Surprisingly, Kurt and Rachel don't question on Santana's night out so it saves her an hour of pestering noses, and by the time it's 6:40pm, she's standing outside of the diner. Clothed in a pair of black jeans and a simple white tee, Santana hopes she didn't dress down too much.

There's a roar of an engine and when she looks up, Dani's eyes gleam at her from behind the shaded plastic of a helmet.

"You're early," Dani comments, getting off of a small, but impressive motorcycle. Her blonde hair falls gracefully when she lifts her helmet off of her head.

"You are too."

Santana takes a few small steps to meet halfway with Dani and she closes her eyes when Dani leans up to give her a peck on the lips.

It's been three weeks since their first kiss in front of Dani's apartment complex and if Santana's been counting correctly, this is their sixth kiss. The kisses have always been short and sweet, and although Santana likes the gentleness she's being give, she's not very used to it. No one has ever treated her so delicately before.

"Well, I was too excited to wait until seven so I thought, 'hell, why not surprise the beauty with my gentlewoman skills by arriving first'." Dani laughs and Santana almost facepalms at how lame, but strangely endearing the statement is. "But looks like you beat me to it." Dani winks and walks back to her ride. She takes off another helmet that's attached on the side of the motorcycle, and hands it to Santana.

"Hop on."

Santana gulps, but abides with no question.

After Santana finds out Dani is quite the cheesy dork behind her sensual aura she carries, it gives Santana some relief. She's not sure she could've handled the sexual tension in their exchanges much longer, if there isn't something breaking that heated ice between them. She needs a cold shower already.

The ride to who-knows-where is calming despite them going 90 m/ph and Santana likes clinging onto Dani's waist. The short woman is very skilled in making sharp turns and Santana's pretty sure by the way Dani laughs at her shrieks, the woman is absolutely doing these frightening turns on purpose just to hear her scream.

"Why?!" Santana cries out when the motorcycle dips dangerously to the side.

"A preview of what's to come perhaps?" Dani retorts back calmly over the roaring sound of the motor and Santana almost chokes.

That's sexy.

* * *

Laying on top of a worn blanket, Santana looks up at the sky and is, honestly, quite bored.

Dani lies on her side looking at her though so the stars seem like a good distraction right now.

Santana's never been the romantic type and even if she is, with the way the dirty blonde was playing with her hair, she's melting at Dani's actions in that cute, girly way, and that's not good for her reputation.

"So Rachel and Kurt didn't say anything?"

Keeping her eyes focused on a tiny star, Santana snorts, "Those two were too engrossed with their movie marathon to care whether I left or not," Santana squints and rolls her eyes, "Or if I even came back." Santana has the urge to curse her two best friend's names because in a way, she can actually see the two not even noticing she went out tonight.

Dani chuckles.

"Sorry for taking you out so late. The ride was pretty long wasn't it." Dani smiles in some regret and Santana turns her head to meet Dani's eyes.

Big mistake.

Before she knows it, Santana is already moving in towards the blonde and she loves that she just knew Dani would follow.

Opening their mouths, their slick tongues slide past each other tentatively, warmth transferring from one mouth to other. Santana gasps when Dani pulls her in closer by the waist and Santana desperately warps her arms around the latter's neck.

Everything feels so hot.

Santana briefly thinks she's the only one on fire but with one moan that's released from the back of Dani's throat, she bravely moves one of her hands down the back of Dani's leather jacket. She slips her hand underneath the white tank the woman wears and her breath hitches when she feels how heated Dani's skin is.

Something electrifying shoots up her fingertips.

Suddenly, Santana wants to cry.

And it shows because Dani pulls back with a confused expression, her lips in a form of a frown.

"Santana?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The taller woman chokes out through her tears that she doesn't even know why they formed. It's so embarrassing to cry in front of her date and so, she cries even harder. "Oh god," Santana mumbles, trying to clear her face hastily from her tears, "I'm so stupid. I'm sorry."

Dani wipes the wetness away from her cheeks and whispers, "No, baby. You're okay." The blonde's eyes show such a beautiful truth that Santana refuses to accept.

Santana doesn't think she's okay.

She curls up into a ball and tries to hide her face away from the other; she's so ashamed of herself.

Santana has issues. She's tried to ignore it so many times, but deep inside, she's so aware of her problems that it's frightening. It feels so wrong, to remember her past when she's trying to experience her present, and it's so, so right of Dani to still be here even though the crying woman doesn't deserve it.

"You're okay, love. You're doing fine."

Arms keep Santana in a tight embrace against a beating heart; Dani's way of comforting is something not real. It feels magical and Santana finds her sobs turning quieter.

Dani's words hit her hard and Santana wants to kiss her, but she can't.

Her lips hurt from the memory of heartbreak, of that goodbye kiss so many months ago.

Ever since then, even though there was no hint of it becoming so, Santana's heart had closed when Brittany locked it and threw the key somewhere far, far away.

Dani just might've found that rusty key on the side of the road.

Picked it up.

And found Santana.

In hopes of opening her heart again.


End file.
